Installation for treating at least one fluid and use thereof for the separation of at least one constituent of a gas mixture

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method of use for treating at least one fluid, in a container that holds at least one mass of a particulate material between two perforated walls. Near the upper part of the mass, at least one deflector extends from the first wall towards the second wall. Fluid flows through the walls horizontally, and the deflector is positioned at an angle to this horizontal fluid flow direction. With this particular apparatus configuration, an area close to the second wall and opposite the adjacent end of the deflector is formed, which is generally free of particulate matter; thus, resulting in a more efficient treatment process.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to installations for treating at least onefluid, of the type comprising, in a container, at least one mass ofparticulate material which is retained between two perforated walls andthrough which the fluid flows in an approximately horizontal direction,and, near the upper part of the mass, at least one deflecting surfaceextending from a first of said walls toward the second wall, making anangle with the horizontal flow direction of the fluid.

An installation of this type is disclosed in document FR-A-2 741 823. Inthe installations disclosed in that document, the volume around the openregion for charging with particulate material at the end of thedeflecting surface is entirely occupied by the particulate material.

SUMMARY

The inventors found that such an installation could be made moreeffective by providing, according to one feature of the invention, anempty region devoid of particulate material near the second wall, facingthe adjacent end of the deflecting surface.

This is because the inventors have found that an empty region of thistype promotes passage of the gases at the end of the deflecting surfaceand thus makes it possible to reduce the time during which these gasesare in contact with the particulate material in the upper part of themass.

The subject of the invention is also the use of such an installation forseparating out at least one constituent of a gas mixture, for examplefor drying or purifying of a gas, and/or for separating out at least oneconstituent of a gas mixture, especially for purifying a stream of airto be distilled, or for producing oxygen and/or nitrogen from a streamof air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature and objects for the presentinvention, reference should be made to the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbersand wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of the upper portion of a fluidseparating apparatus with the annular mass of particulate matter shownin two different embodiments, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a vertical sectional view of another embodiment ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the description that follows and in the drawings, identical orsimilar elements bear the same reference numerals, possibly withexponents.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an absorption device or reactor comprisinga vertical container 1 that contains at least one mass 2, which isannular in the embodiment shown, of particulate material, typically ofan adsorbent, retained between two concentric perforated walls 3 and 4defining, in the container 1, an external annular chamber 5 and aninternal chamber 6 between which the fluid flows by passing radiallythrough the mass 2.

In the upper region of the adsorbent mass 2, a deflecting surface 7extends from the region where the outer perforated wall 3 joins thesolid linking wall or shell 8 that extends the perforated wall upward toa point close to the dome of the container 1.

According to the invention, a region 9 devoid of particulate material isprovided facing the free end of the deflecting surface 7. Morespecifically, this region 9 is bounded at the top by an annular plate 10extending approximately horizontally toward the outside from the regionwhere the inner perforated wall joins the solid linking shell 11, theplate 10 extending as far as a point facing the free end of thedeflecting surface 7 in order to provide, with this surface, the annularpassage 12 for charging the space between the perforated walls 3 and 4with particulate material, by pouring this particulate material into thecontainer 1 via the top charging openings 13.

As shown in the right-hand part of FIG. 1, the empty space 9 may beobtained by merely the presence of the plate 10, which is advantageouslyhorizontal, through the natural heaping effect produced when filling thevolume between the perforated walls 3 and 4.

In order for the empty volume 9 to be controlled more precisely and notto be limited by the natural angle of repose of the particulatematerial, it will be advantageous for this empty region to be bounded byat least one perforated wall 14 extending between the free end of theplate 10 and the perforated wall 4, as shown in the left-hand part ofFIG. 1, in which two concentric annular perforated walls 14 ₁ and 14 ₂of different lengths extend axially downward from the free-end of theplate 10 and from a central region of the latter, the space 9 then beingbounded downward by the natural angle of repose of the particulatematerial starting from the free ends of the perforated walls 14 ₁ and 14₂.

As may be seen in the drawings, the empty region 9 alone is devoid ofparticulate material near the free end of the deflecting surface 7,which surface remains embedded in the particulate material beneath thereserve 15 of particulate material that isolates the active portion 2and allow the filling of said portion to be topped up while the materialsettles during use.

Modifications and variants may be introduced within the context of theclaims below. Thus, in a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 2, annularwalls 14 _(i) may be placed “in staircase fashion”, spaced apartradially, starting from the inner wall 14 _(l) via horizontal annularsupports that join the bottom of the upstream wall to the top of thefollowing downstream wall.

In the case of an installation comprising two adjacent beds ofparticulate materials, for example beds of alumina and of zeolite, whichare separated by an intermediate perforated wall, it is possible tocombine a pair of arrangements according to the variants described abovein the two beds.

It will be understood that many additional changes in the details,materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been hereindescribed in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be madeby those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments inthe examples given above.

1. An apparatus for treating at least one fluid comprising a container,wherein said container comprises: a) a first and a second perforatedwall, wherein said fluid flows substantially horizontally through saidwalls; b) at least one mass of particulate matter, wherein said mass isretained between said first and said second walls; and c) at least onedeflecting surface, wherein said deflecting surface: 1) extends fromsaid first wall toward said second wall; and 2) is located at an anglewith said horizontal flow of said fluid such that a region without saidparticulate mailer is created near to said second wall and the adjacentend of said deflecting surface, wherein said region is bounded at thetop by a second surface, wherein said second surface extends from saidsecond wall toward said adjacent end of said deflecting surface.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein said second surface is substantiallyhorizontal.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said region is boundedlaterally by at least one said wall.
 4. A method of separating at leastone member of a fluid mixture comprising treating said fluid mixturewith an apparatus, wherein said apparatus comprises: a) a first and asecond perforated wall, wherein said fluid flows substantiallyhorizontally through said walls; b) at least one mass of particulatematter, wherein said mass is retained between said first and said secondwalls; and c) at least one deflecting surface, wherein said deflectingsurface: 1) extends from said first wall toward said second wall; and 2)is located at an angle with said horizontal flow of said fluid such thata region without said particulate matter is created near to said secondwall and the adjacent end of said deflecting surface, wherein saidregion is bounded at the top by a second surface, wherein said secondsurface extends from said second wall toward said adjacent end of saiddeflecting surface.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said secondsurface is substantially horizontal.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein said region is bounded laterally by at least one said wall.